Saturday, October 10, 2026
Vol. VIII
Est. 2019

The Mind Shield

News · Opinion · Politics · Analysis

El-Sayed fires back at GOP senator who suggests he is a bin Laden fan as Rogers shares post calling him a “terrorist”

El-Sayed fires back at GOP senator who suggests he is a bin Laden fan as Rogers shares post calling him a “terrorist”
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at the Michigan Democratic Party Endorsement Convention in Detroit, Mich., on April 19, 2026. Photo: Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance.

Abdul El-Sayed fired back at Sen. John Kennedy after the Louisiana Republican suggested that he is a fan of terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

While campaigning for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan on Friday, Kennedy was asked a question about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) throwing its support behind the Republican in the race.

“Look, AIPAC wouldn’t be, they wouldn’t come here, if Dr. El-Sayed didn’t sleep in a bin Laden jersey,” Kennedy said as Rogers laughed.

El-Sayed responded to Kennedy by referencing the Ku Klux Klan.

“That’s rich coming from someone who wears his bed sheets out at night,” El-Sayed posted.

If elected, El-Sayed will be the first Muslim member of the Senate. He has faced anti-Muslim backlash from Republicans since he won the Democratic primary. Trump has started referring to him as “Mohammed.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) also called El-Sayed a “TERRORIST” and “RADICAL ISLAMIST.”

On the debate stage this week, Rogers repeatedly suggested that El-Sayed and his family had ties to terrorist organizations.

On Saturday, Rogers agreed with a post on social media from Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, calling El-Sayed a “terrorist.”

Portnoy was responding to a video of El-Sayed, a University of Michigan graduate, laughing as he said, “Is Michigan going to win a game without cheating? I say this as a Wolverine.”

Portnoy wrote, “This guy is really a terrorist.”

Rogers reposted Portnoy’s comments and said Portnoy “is exactly right.” The National Republican Senatorial Committee reshared Rogers’ post.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Rogers downplayed the remark, telling the Detroit News, “Parroting Ohio State talking points is a bridge too far.”